A Cop Story
by The Swordslinger
Summary: Inspired by A Wolf Among Us. What happens when anime characters are thrown out of their worlds and forced in a harsh and uncaring new one? First, they have to find how to live there, one way or another, and second, they must try to put order in their life. Naruto Uzumaki and Ichigo Kurosaki don't have much choice but to be underpaid cops. Warning: NaruHina and dark themes.
1. Chapter 1

I OWN NOTHING

I had this idea for quite some time after getting into The Wolf Among Us, the game. I recommend everyone who likes point-and-click games with interactive storytelling to give that a go.

 **WARNING** : As the summary says, this has NaruHina, and if you try to flame because you read that, then you clearly need to find a yoga class if all you do is get angry at seeing two people that don't even exist get paired.

 **XXXXXX**

Just a job

 _Just a job… Heh, I wish I could've told myself years ago when I was in my own manga and anime. I'm a fictional character, and used to be the titular character._

 _Name's Naruto Uzumaki, a married man due to my creator's choice._

 _Anyway, I started writing this diary after getting a decent job and wrote it just now. Job's cheap, but when the writer controlling your life gives you a shitty apartment, no parents, and every single odd against you, I'd complain only if my house had cockroaches. Ugh, sorry, I don't want to sound like a bitter idiot, but it's a bit hard after living in the hands of some whimsical writer. At least I can still pay for my kids and wife._

 _Now, if you're human, or a bit more human than I am, then you probably know some anime and manga out there. They are pretty damn weird, but some people like them. Stories are meant to do something others can't experience in real life. Well, my story and many others got an ending, and after that everything fell apart for us anime characters. Picture countless franchises having to be put in a new world – a city - because of some divine will. Truth be told, I actually like the change. I can be myself and use the supposed good part of my brain the writer of my story never bothered to use unless it was for an ass-pull._

 _But I'm ignoring the point at hand. My job is easy: I'm a cop now, a detective. Having super sensorial skills helps to find stuff. Something that is both a good and a bad thing is that many characters from their franchises still have some of their own tricks. Yeah, it's not easy when you got to deal with some asshole who can punch you so hard he can destroy buildings. But whatever brought us here also made sure we played by its rules. Most of our powers have been restricted by our writers._

 _Of course, that doesn't sound fair. This has happened with every single villain, hero, and so on. We're still pretty damn stronger than any average human, but that doesn't mean we can go nuts without consequences._

 _I remember the faces of those who lost more than I can count… My story rival had it far worse than others. He now lives and works at a construction site, gains way less than I, and has a lot of shit to deal with. He's also not favored by anyone, and while I do hate him for everything he did, well, this is a new life. I don't want to focus on the past when I have more in this present._

 _In this new world, this city in which everyone has a new life and can do what they want, I can at least do something instead of following a prophecy as some puppet of destiny when I believed I could defy fate. This time I can actually choose something, and with how bad things are going for many of us, I'm glad my job is to put some order one way or another._

 _But right now, I still got some responsibilities. Getting kicked out of your world, told you're created for someone's amusement, and that you have a son and daughter because of their choices… That means you have to do a lot to keep from breaking both around and inside you…_

 _It's not an easy job, but I may as well do it._

XXXXXX

A loud sigh escaped a sleepy blond. It was dark in the middle of a large city as an old fashioned taxi, a convertible from the 70s that had a yellow paintjob and, for some reason, a seaweed mascot waving stubby arms on its sides, parked before a building. He exited a taxi and walked through a large hall in the middle of an apartment building. The streets were dark, empty, and with some trash around. The building itself was cheap, with small apartments, and no decent security except the doors and bars on the windows.

The blond was easily recognizable for his short golden hair, bright blue eyes, a light tan, and three marks on each cheek resembling whiskers. He had grown taller, but was still lean and muscular. His outfit consisted on a pair of gray pants held up with a simple brown belt, brown work shoes, and a white button up shirt with a loosened red tie hanging from his neck with a rain coat. Said coat was a dark reddish orange with yellow trimming and a hood hanging behind the blond man's head. On the back was a yellow warning sign that read "DANGER AT WORK" in large black letters. He was identified as a cop thanks to his badge which hung at the right side of his buckle.

"Hey Detective, are you sure you'll be ok?" asked the taxi driver. The driver was a young man in a blue Hawaiian shirt with yellow palm trees, a pair of white trousers, and a bowl yellow hat that didn't hide his large spiky red ponytail or the tattoos over his eyebrows. The man had his shirt opened to show off several jagged tattoos, and for accessories he had on a pair of brown gloves and worn out sneakers.

The detective leaned on the taxi with his hand on top, "Keep the car running, Renji. I may need to put him down from the start." The redhead nodded.

The blond entered the apartment and found a sight that made him sigh again. There she was, standing in a blue set of pants and shirt typical of a nurse, white shoes, and a bag full of groceries at her feet. She had a cigarette on her lips, a concerned look in her green eyes, and the bad habit of fumbling with her bubblegum pink hair around her large forehead. She was slightly less flat than when he met her, but had grown taller.

"Naruto…" she said, concerned.

He pulled out a lighter from his coat and lighted her cigarette for her, "You shouldn't have to call me when this happens. What's he been doing?" he asked calmly. His eyes stern as he reached for his own pack of cigarettes. He pulled it out, put one in his mouth, and lighted it, "Is he, you know, again?"

She nodded, "They've been making cuts on the budget and he fears he'll be fired. He… He is still drunk, so probably-"

The sound of glass crashing silenced her, making Naruto let out a long breath of smoke, "He's lost it, Sakura. Now look at you, always getting worried for him in our stories. You even tried to reason with him. Whatever good he had at the start, he threw it out in our story and still hasn't let go of that. Now you work at the hospital, making double shifts for him, and he still acts like this. Despite someone."

Sakura looked down, "I know you still care, but-"

He raised his hand to silence her, "I've grown, ok? I'm not the same boy who said he'd do anything to keep a promise that would end up hurting him. You chose him, you chose Sasuke. I, however, chose to have this job, and I need to do it." He walked forward and groaned, "I should've known this was up when I had to pick up three kids at the school…"

She looked down and stepped aside, letting him walk up a set of stairs to her apartment. Naruto walked by a wooden railing, his hand resting on it and his eyes on the opened door where a glass bottle flew out of and crashed on a wall, spilling down whiskey if his nose didn't fail him. With a groan, the blond reached into his rain coat and pulled out a black baton, and with a twirl of his fingers the baton grew to be a short staff of three foot of length.

He entered the apartment, and the sight before him was nothing but pathetic. There he was, his black hair pulled back in a duck-butt like haircut, his black eyes stained with angry tears that rolled down his cheeks, staining his white wife beater along some alcohol. He had a pair of brown slacks meant for construction, and boots with some dried concrete on them. A bottle of cheap booze was on one hand, while his other hand reached for his face as he sobbed pathetically. The blond stepped, and soon the drunk jumped up at the sight of him. Naruto stared at him, tears and booze stained his shirt, he was flustered from the booze, and he had trouble standing up even with a bottle he held up while aiming a finger at him.

"Naruto…" the drunk said.

The blond sighed, "It's been a while, Sasuke."

Said man sobbed, putting his free hand on his face, "It's the… same damn thing… You know?" he slurred as he made his way to the couch in which he unceremoniously dropped himself. "They all… hate me now… because I was a prick in our story… People even hate… you for being a tool… so why…?" here he glared at the cop, "Why're you… in a good job… while I get shit…? I struggle to pay things… and my boss is thinking of firing me?! Me?! After all the bullshit I went through in our story, I'm nothing now after everything that happened!"

"You need to let go of the past, man. Trust me, it'll help." Naruto said sternly, but he readied his baton. "Cute little Sarada also needs your help."

Sasuke snapped, "Don't give me… your shit!" he stumbled forwards, "Sarada… Sakura… they're all part of a story, like us… we're only lies…"

"And you're too drunk to even try to deny the truth." Naruto replied, not wanting to reach for the revolver in his waist, an S&W five-shooter. "Truth is that we need to let go of the past. And you need to do so, now."

The smoke from his cancer stick flew around the moment Sasuke groggily got up, bottle in hand. And in one instant, the drunk rushed at the cop. Naruto read his moves and held his baton with both hands on each end. He blocked the punch coming his way with the short staff and raised the arm with the bottle up. Using the momentum, the blond spun around and let Sasuke stumble forward. With the drunk having his back turned to him, the detective held his baton like a sword and swung it like a baseball bat. All Sasuke registered before kissing the ground was the pain at the back of his head which would make his hangover much more painful.

The blond sighed, pulled his cigarette from his lips, and let out a large cloud of smoke escape his lungs.

He heard footsteps, and didn't look at the door as he replied, "Next time this happens, call the cops. I can't always be there to clean whatever mess you both get into." The blond said and put the cigarette back in his mouth.

Sakura bowed, "Naruto… thank you." She said to the retreating cop.

He sighed for what he knew wouldn't be the last time around this couple, letting some smoke out, "Don't do that. Should he try that shit again, I won't doubt to lock him up." He threw the cigarette to the ground and stomped on it, "You can pick up Sarada tomorrow when he's calmed down. I'm just doing this because I believe the kids can learn something by not becoming like us, so just keep that in mind."

He walked out to the streets, got into the taxi and got greeted by Renji, "Where to next?" the driver asked as he leaned back to look at the passenger.

"Home." Naruto said as he leaned on his seat, rubbing his tired eyes, "It's at the Jump State building."

The driver raised a brow, "You really live in such a place?"

Naruto shut his eyes, "In the smallest apartment, yes. Now please go, I need some sleep." Renji nodded and drove off.

XXXXXX

 _REPORT:_

 _This is Kurosaki. I've finally moved to the new department at the center of Shounen District. I have finally settled here. I've been assigned to this district supposedly to keep the rogue element – one detective Naruto Uzumaki - in check. This is my first job as a detective. I shall accompany and observe Uzumaki in case he acts on his own instead of following the law._

 _To have to follow another detective says much. Information gathered has revealed that Uzumaki is a gambler, using that income to pay part of his bills and a stay at the Jump States. More sources have shown proof that he doesn't follow the protocol as much as his boss – police chief Piccolo - wants him to. It appears that Uzumaki also acts like a typical hardboiled loose cannon from a cop movie. While it may sound cheesy, it does reflect part of his psychological profile after what he went through in his own manga and anime story._

 _My mission: to confirm if Uzumaki is a threat to the police force or just someone who needs a tighter leash._

 _I've been assigned due to having the skills to match him according to our superiors, and also some knowledge from my own experiences at my own story of what he could go through._

 _In the end, I may have to use my contacts to gather more information on Uzumaki. If things go south I may have to engage him in combat to arrest him should he really be as bad as some rumors said. One of those rumors say he encountered and survived an encounter with a hitman he had been following in a case. The fact the hitman escaped has forced Commissioner Hellsing to consider Uzumaki's loyalty due to her superiors' orders. The hitman entered the building and took out his target and every cop in the building that fired at him, but after facing Uzumaki the assassin let the detective live. It is thought that Uzumaki may be partnered with the assassin or at least bribed for the hit._

 _On a personal note, the commissioner sadly had nothing to do with that conclusion; it was made by some unsettled civilians about a possible connection between Uzumaki and the hitman, one-_

XXXXXX

"Hey, Kurosaki! Snap out of it!"

In the middle of a bar with no windows, a reinforced entrance door accessed by going down some stairs, a Spanish and Mexican theme to it, a couple of pool tables, dart boards, a cigarette machine, and one good looking bartender, one detective snapped after being called. This man possessed a mop of messy, spiky candy orange hair that nearly reached his chin.

He was clad in a set of black business coat and matching pants held up with a brown belt, and a white button up shirt with the top two buttons opened. He ran on white sneakers, and had on a pair of black aviator sunglasses with a double bridge over the nose and meant to hide his eyes from view. He wore them as if he could see in the dark, and giving how he managed to keep eye contact with the bartender, that seemed to be the case. But if one looked at his chest they'd notice a tattoo on it, if one took off his shirt they'd notice a skull tattoo from a symbol he still cherished from his story. His police badge hung from a necklace, the kind military use to carry their tags, over his muscular chest.

The one that spoke to him was a fine looking woman to say the least. Tall, dark skin, golden hair done in a spiky mess with several spikes jutting around, and quite a voluptuous but not overly big form made her a goddess for a normal man's eyes. She was in good shape, was toned where it counted, and had large curvaceous hips. Her outfit was simple, casual, and yet accentuated her beauty. It was a purple turtleneck shirt with no sleeves and the collar pulled up to hide half her pretty face, it hugged her chest nicely and showed glimpses of her bellybutton. For her legs she had short, very short jeans shorts, and white ankle-high boots. However, most of what one would like to look was covered by a black apron with the words "BAR LAS NOCHES" written in large white letters.

Her soft yet near emotionless green eyes stared at him calmly. "You need your sleep, not this." She set down a large cup of coffee for him and returned to the counter. He remained seated on a stool and watched how she walked to the shelves with large bottles of booze.

The detective sighed, "What do you want me to do, Harribel? It's either working overtime or facing more problems with money."

The beautiful blonde woman narrowed her eyes a bit, not in a threatening manner but in a way that said she didn't want any bullshit, "I could try to lower your debt if you-"

"Not happening." He said swiftly.

She closed her eyes, "It's a shame then. You have only a week to pay at least part of your debts."

He groaned and grabbed his head, "Ugh… Can't I have some more time? I should get my check a few days after that."

Harribel stared calmly at him, "Ichigo, I say this as someone who was in your story symbolizing sacrifice, perhaps the closest you have as a friend in this city, and the one moneylender who won't break your knees for what you owe me… I can't do more for you."

"Shit…" he whispered and turned back to typing.

She grabbed a bottle of whisky and set it for him to see, "This booze is the cheapest in town. I pay my debts listening to people complaining about their lives while giving every customer glasses of this stuff. You know what I hear? That you're not the only one with troubles." She put the bottle back in its shelf with a sigh, "Everyone in this city has problems… You've heard how some girls turned to less than favorable jobs, so be glad your sisters can still study."

"So long as I can pay the loan, right?" he said, a slight growl coming out. She was still a moneylender.

She sighed, "It's all I can do to keep this business afloat. I give you monthly appointments with small interests to pay part of that debt to keep a steady income. Most money sharks in this town – and that was no pun intended – would literally eat you alive." He looked back at his report before him. He hadn't even finished reading it but he needed to get it to the right place and at the right time. He also had to pay loans, and, "How's your father doing? Is his business as a doctor still working or…"

He shook his head, making her stop mid-sentence, "No, no… He sadly doesn't get many clients like before. Now with this kind of city he can't even get a decent job at a hospital with all those elite nurses and doctors around." He looked up at her with a tired stare, "Yuzu is dreaming to become an idol to pay those debts, you know? She finally decided to do something more than the chores. Karin, she just wants to study and get a good job. Me? I can only do this job since I'm only good at fixing other people's shit… and getting Yuzu to her favorite karaoke place."

Harribel pushed his coffee towards him, "You need it." She turned around for the cash register on the other side of the counter, "It's on the house, but next time you say something like that, I'll think you're playing with my heartstrings." She then turned a side-glance at him, her eyes still showing no emotion, "Unless you'd actually like to do one of my jobs."

Ichigo raised his mug of coffee at her, "I'd need to be hammered like shit before that happened."

Harribel gave him a ghost of a smile and pulled out a couple of bills. After counting enough money she took a part of the bills and handed them to the redhead, who replied with a raised eyebrow at the gesture, "Would you prefer walking back home?" she asked at seeing his facial expression.

He silently took the money for a taxi and mumbled a barely audible, "Thanks."

The woman sighed as her client walked out, and talked to the empty bar, "Those two together will only make trouble." She said as she looked at a notebook with the word tab on it, a certain blond detective's name was on one of its many pages along Ichigo's.

Ichigo walked outside, raised his hand, and a yellow car sped past him, angering the orange haired man, "Just my luck…" he growled, but shut up when red lights shone on his back. He turned around, and sure enough the taxi was driving backwards towards him. He raised a brow, seeing that the taxi was already occupied if the dark shadow on the backseat said anything.

Stopping before him was a taxi from a company he knew only because of its owner, and the driver was… "Ichigo?!" the tattooed redhead asked, his eyes wide.

The figure on the backseat, whose face and figure were hidden because of a hood over his head and the car was completely dark. The figure, a man by the voice, spoke up, "You know each other?" he asked the redhead while the orange haired young man sat beside him, unable to see the guy's face because the hood of his raincoat was pulled all the way over it.

Ichigo nodded, "Yes."

The man chuckled, "Not much of a talker, I see. Anyway, do me a favor and don't wake me up until I arrive at my home. It's been a long day for me, and I got a wife and kids waiting for me."

Ichigo just mimicked the man's pose, leaning back on the seat without a care in the world, "Same to you. Anyway, you know where I go to, Renji."

"Tch, I'm not your personal chauffeur, you assholes." The redhead groaned.

"No tip for you, then." The hooded man replied, making Renji groan. "Just fooling… You're the only guy who'd drive around my lazy ass at this hour." the hooded man said.

The driver sighed, "It's because you're the only dumbass who'd pick up a taxi instead of getting a car of his own."

Ichigo grinned, "You are like a hooker, cheap and easy to get."

The hooded man chuckled, "Yeah, better than a car in the fact we all get some loving out of this."

Renji gritted his teeth, "Assholes…"

The two men readied themselves for more insults and prepared their witty remarks to shoot back at the driver, but the two were too lazy to come up with something and decided to cut the redhead some slack. "So, you're a cop?" the hooded man asked.

Ichigo raised a brow, "How did you know?"

"Aside from the badge on your neck?" Ichigo felt like hitting himself, "Because I'm one and can smell powder in you." The other cop replied, "So, random question, but what're you here for? The job's not that well paid."

"No job is in this city." Ichigo replied while leaning his head backwards, "I took this one because it's the only thing I can be good at. It also helps getting money and food for my family."

"Heh, same story, pal. Same story…" the hooded cop then chuckled, "This is a weird world, huh?"

Ichigo nodded, not knowing how to break the ice with this stranger. So he tried to come up with something, anything… "What kind of gun did you get?"

The other cop stood silent for a second but replied nonetheless, "A simple five-shooter, nothing big. I was never good with that whole shooting thing… and I had to save money for my family, so I bought the cheapest but most reasonable to use gun I found. And before you laugh, with a bullet being anything but cheap, I'd rather have a gun that won't eat my money away."

The carrot-top nodded, "I got mine thanks to my father and my own collective efforts in paying for something that could last. It's a 9mm. Beretta."

"Like the ones from Resident Evil?"

"What?"

"It's a videogame franchise. The moment you have a kid, you kind of learn about that stuff."

Ichigo sighed, "Huh… Speaking of which, I sort of feel sorry for all the videogame characters that made it into our kind of media."

"Some of them had jobs from the start or are insanely rich like that Ken Masters, so don't be." The two cops groaned, picturing how much they wanted that money while others were just lucky to be born with it. The hooded officer tried to talk some more, "Still, there are some decent jobs because of guys like Masters; at least he's still a nice guy."

"People, life and stories change with time. What're you going to do about it but try to take it seriously?" Ichigo replied tiredly.

The other passenger chuckled, "True, but you also have to put a bit of effort into enjoying what you have instead of what you want to have… If not for my story, I wouldn't be married, and…" he shook his head, letting his hood fall and making Ichigo do a double-take when seeing Naruto Uzumaki, "Ugh, I just sound like an idiot, sorry."

"No, don't be… Uh… Naruto Uzumaki, right?" the carrot head was confused, but at least now he had an idea of what he was dealing with.

Naruto nodded, "And you're Ichigo Kurosaki…" he said motioning with his eyes to the redhead's badge, "I've heard you'll be my partner in my latest case." He then smiled tiredly, "If you're going to watch over my ass… I'll be blunt and ask for one thing and one thing only, ok?" Ichigo nodded, preparing himself for whatever the blond could be said, "Think you can get me a good hot coffee for tomorrow morning? Two sugars with half a cup of cream."

The orange head blinked, "Uh… ok…"

XXXXXX

Moments later, Naruto finally arrived to his destination. A large building filled with apartments of all shapes and sizes, with a nice front garden, and a decently decorated fence stood before him. After his little talk with Ichigo the father of two only wanted to relax. He passed by the front door, checked his mail in one of the many boxes nailed to a wall, and ignored the sleeping security guard.

"Hard at work as always…" he said while passing by the sleeping guard's counter in the lobby. To the other side were the elevators for him to get home if not for someone rushing out of one.

Naruto stared at this person, a girl, a cute girl at that. She had long blonde hair, lovely blue eyes, a short orange mini-skirt that made it hard to miss her panties, a white tube top, red ankle-high boots, elbow-length red gloves, and a worried look on her face when finally noticing him. The blond didn't even need to be a detective to know what she was, even if she lacked fishnet stockings, the makeup on her face to both make herself prettier and slightly mask her appearance said enough.

She gasped and started to move back into the elevator, attempting to close the door… only for Naruto's hand to stop the doors and pull them open, "Good night, officer…" the girl said, trembling. Naruto stared at her, noticed she had a small orange purse with a white cat face painted on one side, and that it was wrinkled. Not only that, he could tell by the way she held that purse that her index and middle right fingers had been hurt. The sad part was that in this city that would be a pretty normal sight.

"Going up?" he asked, pressing the button to close the door. The girl stepped away, staring at him cautiously, "Bad night?" he asked to break the silence.

The girl nodded, "People can be really out of control these days."

He sighed, "Rough customer?" She shook her head, and didn't reply further, "Was it here?"

She shook her head again, "I better leave and-" she shut met mouth up when the blond turned to her, staring right into her eyes. The girl shivered, and then arched a brow when he pulled out a notepad with a red pen. He wrote something down quickly and handed it to her, "What?"

"It's my number; call me on any kind of public phone if whoever broke your fingers shows his face again." He said with a straight face.

The girl stared at the note, and pushed it back to him, "It's not that easy, officer. You're not a hero like in your world… I learned it when getting this job…" she pulled up her purse and watched the doors open, waiting for the detective to leave. He turned his head to the hall with its cream colored walls and red carpet, and back at her, "I will be fine, honest. And you got no right to question me about anything, that's the law, right?"

"I thought you and the other sailors were doing fine, Minako." He replied calmly.

She nodded, "We do, and we have a way to pay our rent in this world that doesn't need us to degrade us as much as other girls… Honest."

The detective stared at her, and had to give in, "Still, have my number." He said and put it in her purse, "You're one of the first heroines to be part of an all-female group. My daughter does look up to you."

The girl, Minako, chuckled mirthlessly, "She wouldn't if she saw me now… But thanks, detective. Have a good night."

The cop nodded and walked towards his home, at the end of the hall. He watched the elevator's doors close and Minako going down to her job. It was a harsh world, but he was… "…always caring for others, aren't you Naruto?" he stiffened and inwardly groaned even before he opened his door.

There he found her, his wife. She was clad in a purple sleeveless dress, jeans, white sneakers, and with a white apron. Her hair was long, a dark azure shade that went down to child-bearing hips with thick but not too meaty thighs that curved in the right places over long and shapely legs. Even after giving birth to two kids, she hadn't gained much weight, and in fact seemed to be losing it. Her chest had grown, naturally, as any woman's would after carrying not one but to kids in her womb. But her face had perhaps changed the most.

Instead of being fearful, lavender eyes stared at him warmly with care and acceptance. Replacing shyness her mouth was set in a placid smile that showed she had gotten over her fears. And showing a natural beauty, her skin was still soft and firm to the touch without makeup or creams.

But her nose wrinkled, "Yes, I-" he found the woman's index finger on his lips and a sweet smiles on hers.

"I put the kids and Sarada to sleep. She's fine, so far she doesn't know what's going on… and I prepared some pasta for you." she said, with that smile still in place while her other hand that didn't keep him shut slithered up his tie to give a gentle yank in order to lower her husband's face to hers, she kissed him, softly and tenderly.

"What was that for?" he asked in his stunned state.

She smiled and looked down, a small blush coming to her face, "We are married, so I thought to show some more love whenever you're here to-" his hands on her shoulders silenced her.

He sighed, "Listen, there's no need for you to try too hard." He closed his eyes and took in a breath to calm himself, "I married you in our story, and we have two kids because of it. The one thing I regret from it is not getting to know you at all before that happened."

The woman's eyes were closed, and her face took on a serene and pleased smile, "Same here." She felt warm when his forehead touched hers and they stared at each other that way, but then her nose wrinkled again, "Uh… were you smoking again?"

He groaned and inwardly kicked his ass, "Yeah… Sorry…"

She sighed and went to the bathroom, "The pasta's in the microwave. I'll brush my teeth to get the taste of tobacco off my mouth."

He groaned, "Great, now I lost my appetite." He grabbed his pack of cigarettes and felt tempted to throw them out the window.

That was when two set of feet rushed at him for a hug that knocked the wind out of his gut and smashed his back against a large green couch, "Daddy!" a little girl with short blue hair, matching eyes, and four whisker-like marks on her cheeks similar to her father's said. She was nuzzling his chest with her cheek and wore a yellow set of pajamas.

"You're late!" a boy with golden hair in a mop, blue eyes, and the same cheek-marks that his sister had said as he kept his hold on his father.

He smiled and held them up, walking into his small apartment to the living room which had only a couch, a coffee table, and a TV. The kitchen had the needed essentials and was just at the living room's side, with the table and chairs in the middle of it showing said cooking place also was for them to eat at. And there were three doors, one for the main bathroom, another for the married couple, and the third for the kids, from which doorway a small girl in pajamas with short black hair and matching eyes stared at him behind red glasses.

"Mr. Uzumaki, are you ok?" she asked while the man sat on the large green couch with his kids on top of him.

"Just a bit tired, Sarada. Did Bolt behave himself at school?" he asked with his hand on the boy's head, making him cringe.

Sarada held back a giggle and quickly lied, "He's been good, a bit loud but nothing too bad."

The boy sighed in relief, and his sister chirped in, "I had a good day too, daddy! Today I played a lot at the park!"

He chuckled, ruffling her tiny head, "Is that right, my little sunflower?"

She nodded and smiled.

A simple smile like that…

It just made everything worth it.

 **XXXXXX**

 **And that's my rap!**

 **So, like in A Wolf Among Us, Naruto and Ichigo are like Bigby, underpaid cops doing their best to pay the bills and try to be with their loved ones even if the world around them is pretty much shit.**

 **I'm sorry I didn't show Ichigo's family life, but I guessed this chapter was long enough as it was, and showing that in the next chapter could work to start things off.**

 **And like in A Wolf Among Us, all characters are turned upside down and forced into new lives that quite frankly may make you arch a brow or two.**

 **Here's the roster of all mentioned and shown characters:**

Naruto Uzumaki (From NARUTO) – an odd cop with either too much luck or too much skill. He may be bitter but you better believe he gives a damn.

Ichigo Kurosaki (From Bleach) – a cynical cop with either too much pessimism or a fine look at reality. He is always stuck with debts.

Hinata Uzumaki (From Naruto) – Naruto's loving wife, from canon. She is unsure of how to react to being a wife after she interacted so little with her crush, but that doesn't mean she can't try to love him.

Bolt and Himawari Uzumaki (From Naruto) – Naruto's children, and the reason he tries so hard to make something out of his life.

Isshin Kurosaki (From Bleach) – Ichigo's single father and part of the income in the Kurosaki house. While his clinic doesn't get many patients, he doesn't give up on his job.

Uzu and Karin Kurosaki (From Bleach) – like with Bolt and Himawari, Ichigo's little sisters are the reason the redhead cop tries to move himself forward.

Tia Harribel (From Bleach) – a moneylender owning a nice little side-business serving food, booze, and coffee, the latter to one redhead cop that she finds almost amusing, almost.

Sarada Uchiha (From Naruto) – a girl brought into the spotlight before of who her father was, she finds the Uzumaki family to give her a light she can't find at home.

Sasuke and Sakura Uchiha (From Naruto) – Sarada's parents, a couple together because of the hardships of their story and this world. Each one deals with their problems in sad ways.

Renji Abarai (From Bleach) – a taxi driver working at the Byakuga Taxi company. He is usually seen driving Naruto around.

Minako Aino (From Sailor Moon) – a former magical heroine now reduced to find proper jobs while trying to not cross a line marked with true despair. She is Naruto's neighbor.

Piccolo (From Dragon Ball) – Naruto and Ichigo's chief, and as the chief of police he doesn't take kindly to anyone being an idiot.

Ken Masters (From the Street Fighter game which got some animations) – a CEO of the Masters company, he is one of the few lucky ones with money before the world changed.

 **Swordslinger out!**


	2. Chapter 2

I OWN NOTHING

Let me just say that writing cop novels has never been my forte if the amounts of effort I've put on destroying reality with all my other fics isn't proof enough. I can try, though.

 **XXXXXX**

A working day

Meeting your new partner can be good, it can be fun, quirky, or a good learning experience. For the redhead detective on the taxi the odd meeting was surreal, His partner was far stranger than he first imagined.

That detective was far older than the redhead – who was in his early twenties -, a married man, and he had seen a lot. The man knew how life could affect one in their city and the redhead cop could respect that. But why did meeting the man in question make him feel out of place?

Granted, the redhead was a rookie compared to some of the men and women that arrived to this city and started to adapt themselves to their new lives. His partner had some time in the law enforcing business. The older detective had even fought and survived his encounter with an assassin.

And yet that family man was seen as a corrupt cop. Society and the commissioner had to see if he was an honest man or a parasite of society. Sure, the older cop was a gambler, but what he earned rolling a dice or tempting Lady Luck with some cards went to his family.

The redhead could sympathize with his new partner on that regard. At the very least the two of them worked for and worried about their respective families. The younger cop didn't want to bring his partner's wife bad news, though.

Ichigo must have been the easiest book to read, for Renji barely glimpsed at him to speak, "If he's your partner, try to relax. In his story he was a good guy, unrealistically nice."

The carrot top smiled weakly, "And Sailor Moon and the other magical girls were cute and adorable, before this world forced them to less favorable jobs."

The driver sighed, "You're still the same cynical bastard I knew."

"And your eyebrows are still weird as fuck."

"You bast-"

"Eyes on the road!"

After a screeching halt, Ichigo took a deep breath, walked out of the taxi and paid Renji, "Get home and make sure your sisters can be happy of seeing your ugly face." Were the driver's last words for the night before he left the carrot head. The redhead shook his head, knowing his old friend would be the same deep down, but also having to cope with the fact he didn't get the last laugh.

"I've wondered, is everyone in this city a wise-cracking asshole, or are they just trying to outdo you, Ichigo?"

Said detective turned to see a young teenager girl that had slowly gotten into puberty with short black hair, a slightly boyish hair, and a permanent deadpan/blank/scowling expression on her face. Sometimes she had all three expressions mixed into one. And as a teen she wore a simple white and blue sailor uniform while greeting her older brother from the doorway to a small house that also acted as a clinic.

However, unlike his former house, this one had the first floor designed to be the rather small and simple clinic and the second floor consisted on two bedrooms, a bathroom, a small living room and equally small kitchen. It may not have been like his home on his old life, but it managed to keep the family together and safe from hail, rain, snow, and any dangers while also welcoming anyone that needed help.

Ichigo patted the girl's short black hair, "Good to see you too, Karin."

She gently moved his hand off, "You'd normally be mad that I'm up this late, what's the deal?"

He retaliated calmly, "First of all, I know you're trying to ace both your soccer and grades, so I don't mind so long as you do that. Secondly, it's been an odd night."

She raised a brow, "What would make you say that?"

Giving off a rough chuckle, he patted her hair again making her grumble, "Tell you about it when we get inside and I see what Yuzu's made us for dinner."

The stern faced girl frowned even more but ultimately nodded, stepping aside and helping Ichigo take off his coat and outfit once he got through the door. A softly muttered thanks from him was answered by a swift nod, before he walked in and found a teenage girl happily humming to herself as she bustled around a table. Her short chestnut moved freely with her moves, without any stray hairs blocking her eyes.

"Let's get to the top…! Let's get to the top!" She suddenly sang happily in an utterly adorable manner, her voice coming out like sugary sweet love which put a wry smile on Ichigo's face.

"Practicing for your idol debut huh Yuzu?"

His voice heralded the girl to twirl around with a loud and happy, "Ichigo-niichan!" she ran to hug the carrot head, which he replied to with open arms and a smile.

After gently patting her head, the young cop finally spoke, "How's dad?"

"He finally has a patient," she said with a smile, "and hoping they have a lot of things to treat."

As she said that, they saw a man in a lab coat with a frown over his goatee, and his black spiky hair already showing gray streaks, "Ichigo, you're home early."

"It's not even that early. I'm surprised Yuzu and Karin are still up, and that you haven't tried to beat the snot out of me." He told the man with a straight face.

Isshin Kurosaki sighed, giving his eldest a tired glance, "What do you expect? Things have been busy lately."

That made Ichigo curious, "Explain, please."

His father blinked, "Hey, are you interrogating me or something?"

Ichigo shrugged, "I'm a cop now, what do you expect? If something's wrong like your clinic being busy there must be something wrong around here." He wanted to comment how that applied especially since having a single patient couldn't count as being busy for the whole day.

"A middle-aged man just came here, he said he was feeling nauseous lately and with a headache that hadn't left him. I ran some tests, but found nothing wrong." Isshin replied, "Lately, it's been the same. Even a few kids from the nearby high school have come here for check-ups with the same symptoms, but I can't find anything wrong either."

Ichigo put his hand to his chin, "Anything suspicious about them?"

Isshin closed his eyes and crossed his arms, trying to think back, "Well… they were short on cash to pay for a hospital."

"They had to if they came here." Karin added with a casual shrug, making her father wince at her coldness, "Things in this city aren't stable enough to pay for hospitals."

"Or…" Ichigo started, "there's something wrong with their budgets." He was thinking… there had to be a connection. Nausea, headaches, low budget, and… "They were a middle-aged man and some high school kids, right? Anything that stood out?"

Yuzu spoke up, "The man wore a cheap business suit, and the students all had uniforms."

"And since you said they were from the nearby high school, they must have some money to afford the uniforms." Ichigo stated, before flinching, "Ugh… there's one pretty rational idea, but it feels odd."

Isshin stared at him, "What do you mean?"

Ichigo scratched his chin, "It could be… drugs." He finally declared, "But the fact you, even in a clinic like this, couldn't see any symptoms is what worries me… Did you do full-body checks?"

His father nodded, "There were no syringe marks, no spots on their teeth, dried nostrils, or even twitching."

Ichigo hummed, "I'll have to look this up, but for now…" he turned to the kitchen, "Just a quick question… do you have anything to take some coffee to work?"

"Uh, yes, but… Why?" Yuzu asked confused, "Shouldn't you hit the bed before you get rings around your eyes like a raccoon?"

"I just… met my new partner." He admitted and looked for ingredients, "He asked me for a coffee."

"Can't he buy it himself?" Karin asked with a scowl.

Ichigo waved dismissively, "I just want to be nice, besides, I have to get to know the guy, even if he's really…" he turned to his father, "He's at least normal compared to you."

"Hey!" the father of three shouted, about to charge at his eldest.

Before a fight broke out, Ichigo handed his father a steaming cup of tea, with a teabag already in it, "Listen, just try to take care, you three." He told them as he walked to his room, "I'll see you in the morning."

As he left, Yuzu pouted, "I know he cares but lately he seems too worried about things."

Karin patted her twin's head, "He has to do good, it's his first big mission, after all."

"I know, but still, he's our brother no matter what." The brunette said defensively.

The more cynical twin nodded, "That's why you should have some faith on him. Anyway, I need some sleep myself. Ichigo's right, it's late."

It didn't take long before the Kurosaki clan decided to enjoy a good night.

XXXXXX

Next morning in the police department, Ichigo found his target. A brand new desk completely empty and with his name on it. The young detective easily set a box with a few belongings down on it and checked the computer at the side. There were pencils and other such utensils for notes, folders, and papers. On one corner of the room, near a coffee table, was a printer and a fax machine.

He liked the place, even if it was a simple two story building. It had a lobby, enough room for a gym with a boxing ring, a shooting gallery, and a certain place he knew just in front. Said place was owned by a shark themed blonde, and it already had some officers going for coffee there.

But in front of his desk, placed together against it, was a certain blond man in his own desk with a different outfit than the one he saw him wear before. The blond now had a black military jacket which he kept opened, an orange button up shirt, jeans, and the shoes from last night. He had no tie, but kept his badge on his belt to show he was a cop. Looking lazily at him, the whiskered father of two ruffled his hair.

"So…" Naruto started, staring intently at the cylinder in Ichigo's hand, "Is that coffee for me?"

Ichigo placed the cylinder on the man's desk, "Yeah. But I have to ask why you would ask me for it when you have a perfectly working machine nearby."

Naruto poured himself a cup with childish hand drawings of stars and hearts and his daughter's name written on it as the author of the pictures, "Have you tasted sweat from dirty socks? That's what that coffee tastes like." The blond said with a casual tone before taking a pleased sip, "I mean, this is pretty much a five star drink compared to it."

Ichigo was getting impatient, "Aren't we supposed to be working on something? You can save your review on my coffee for later."

Naruto put down his cup and ran his hands through his desk, which was a mess of papers, some half-eaten instant ramen cups, and some opened folders with faces Ichigo thought looked familiar, "Here it is." Naruto said before passing his new partner the paper, "I hope you know what I was doing before you were assigned to be in this hellhole."

Glancing through the pages, Ichigo answered calmly, "You had to look after a witness along other officers who had information of a major drug production."

"Not just a major drug production… I'm talking of a really insane drug being made." Naruto commented, making Ichigo's eyebrows shoot up in interest, "It was something so good that whoever wanted him dead hired a professional… I managed to fight him off, but the asshole cracked three of my ribs. He didn't break them, but I still have the bruises."

Ichigo fought back the urge to wince to keep himself professional, "Still, you managed to survive and see who it was, right?"

Naruto took another sip of his coffee before replying, "Yeah, but the problem is that they knew too well how and when to attack. It didn't take them a minute to kill everyone surrounding the witness. I ran at the scene, tried to shoot him, and found the witness with a hole on their chest and the hitman casually wiping his hands to get the blood off."

Now the redhead winced, due to a particular memory, "Any chance he was a pale as milk guy with a cheap black haircut and dead green eyes?"

"I think it was two people…" Naruto said, "And no, the one I saw didn't look like that."

"Wait, two?" Ichigo asked, "What makes you say that?"

Naruto lifted his shirt to show three bruises on his ribcage, all the exact size as a normal man's fingertip, "Because the guy did this to me using only one hand to put me down. Oh, I took it like a champ and managed to punch him in the face…" there was a proud smile on Naruto's face before he pulled down his shirt, "Doesn't that sound strange to you?"

Ichigo was about to ask what he meant, until it clicked, "He let you live, but everyone else was dead."

Naruto nodded, "He was paid to kill one target, and I could have been collateral damage added to the bill, but he didn't take the problem to crack my skull, he just ran off."

Ichigo flipped through the folder, seeing the pictures of several cops in civilian clothing with a single wound on their heads from a wound, "And if he's as skilled as you say he wouldn't have needed a gun."

Naruto grinned, "You're catching on. So, we have a hitman and a sharpshooter."

"A sharpshooter?" Ichigo asked.

"I didn't see anyone nearby, I couldn't even smell the smoke from a gun's powder." Naruto started, "And look at the officers."

Ichigo did, "They're all… facing different directions with their guns drawn… like they were looking for the shooter."

"And they must be really good." Naruto said, "Because I didn't listen to a single gunshot."

Ichigo put down the folder and took it all in, "A dead witness, two hitmen, a super drug being manufactured, a single wound on their heads, and..." he took a good look at the picture of several cops in civilian clothing with blood pooling beneath their heads. The young detective thought on the possibilities, not liking the picture he was getting, "two very different methods to take out the witness." He declared, looking at the picture of the dead officers and then at the one of the witness, "Do you think they were in cahoots?"

Naruto shrugged, "If there's anything I learned from my story is to look deeper than what one sees. You have to look underneath the underneath." He paused for a second before putting his palm to his face, "I can't believe I said that…"

"We have to find the underneath first." Ichigo said as he closed the folder, "Any clues?"

"I did see the hitman's face." Naruto said, "Getting to him is… not pleasant."

Ichigo arched a brow, "Do I want to know?"

Naruto got up and finished his coffee in one go since the drink had cooled down a bit, "Why don't I show you?"

Ichigo quickly got up and followed the blond, unsure of what would happen, "Wait, where are we going? What are we supposed to do?"

Naruto spoke as they walked to the street, passing other officers, "We're going where we're going, and you're going to act like a smartass."

Ichigo had to pause to take that twice in the middle of the stairs while Naruto reached the first floor, "Can you make sense?" he asked tiredly.

Naruto turned to the redhead with a smile, a finger pointing at him, "That, what you're doing, be a smartass, a good smartass." He pointed at the younger detective, "Where we're going, that's all you need to be if you want to avoid getting eaten, just try to not be an asshole. There's a difference between a good smartass and an asshole."

Since he had to bond with him, Ichigo decided to make a joke for the blond, "I thought that was your personality last night. I didn't know it was part of the job."

The father of two smirked, "Good, keep it up and next Christmas I'll give you a raincoat like mine."

Ichigo paled but tried not to show his fear of having to be given such a ridiculous outfit, "Where did you even get such a thing?"

"My daughter and son bought it for my birthday with their allowance." He said and shrugged, "I can see by your face that it's not your thing, but it's not that bad. I usually have it to avoid getting my good clothes ruined."

"You were wearing it last night." Ichigo said as he reached the blond, "Can I ask why?"

Naruto frowned, "Sorry, rookie, none of your business. Now just move." He raised his hand before the man could keep talking, and shouted, "Taxi!"

There were taxis parked in front of the station for those officers without cars, and for those who didn't get a patrol car. The one cab that Naruto pulled over had a very familiar, tired face, "Oh not you two assholes again!" the red pineapple head groaned.

"Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?" Ichigo asked the man, "How the Hell does Byakuya's shifts work?"

Renji groaned, "Hey, guy owns the company, I'm just doing my work for the money even if I have to do some extra hours to get the cash."

Naruto just sat on the back and Ichigo followed him, asking his red haired acquaintance, "Still, couldn't you have gotten something better?"

Renji's cringing was seen thanks to the mirror, "Y-Yeah… No… I can't do that management stuff… Rukia's more for it."

Naruto pulled a familiar cylinder from his jacket to take a sip of his coffee while Ichigo spoke up, "Point taken. Still, if Rukia is doing that…"

Feeling another question coming, Renji growled an answer at the carrot head, "Listen, our place has only five working cars, Rukia does all the paperwork, and I and four morons drive through routes only real idiots would take. And since I can't start the counter to see how much you two will pay for this ride until you tell me where to go, I'd like it if you just told me where you two want to get you to."

Naruto sighed after finishing his sip, "Take us to the Fortune and Law office, downtown." He said calmly. "On the way, see if you can buy yourself a cereal rich in fiber to get your ass unclogged."

"Son of a…" Renji groaned before driving off. "Just know I'm doing this because, one, you two actually leave a tip, and two, I've watched enough CSI to know killing you two won't leave me happy."

Naruto finished another sip of coffee before passing the container to Ichigo, "I'm more of a Criminal Minds kind of guy…" he admitted, "I actually like some of the characters, especially the blonde girl with glasses."

He turned to Ichigo, who shrugged after finishing the last of the coffee, "I prefer NCIS… I just like how serious it is at times… and I do like the goth girl."

Renji sighed, "You two are just weird…"

XXXXXX

After some good driving, the two officers got off the taxi after asking their driver to wait for their return, "Stay here, there're a few places we need to go to." The blond told the tattooed redhead before walking in.

The place was a simple office building on the outside about four stories tall, on the inside it had sections and even entire floors dedicated for all sorts of businesses. Ichigo took in some of the names: Fluff Club For The Animal Inside, Star Breeze Gentleman's Club, Cheap Steal Travels, and the one Naruto was looking for at the very top.

They had to ride an elevator, and once the gates opened the odd duo found a stainless cream colored fluffy carpet, a few marble pillars holding some invaluable looking Chinese vases, and a blue haired girl. She sat behind a large ebony desk, and her looks could very well be why she had a job. She had tastefully applied pink makeup on her large eyes, and her long hair reached down to a curvaceous rear, though the top was what would take any man's attention, if you catch my drift. Her hair was done with two buns, one at each side of her head, and she wore a very elegant red Chinese top with a black business skirt.

"Oh, the good detective." She said with a slight playful tone and a thick Chinese accent.

Naruto nodded, "Shampoo, is your boss here?"

The Chinese woman put on some reading glasses that had Ichigo look away – Naruto mentally noted it could be either an odd fetish or something against glasses – and pulled out a notepad, "The boss can't make any appointments, so you two will have t-"

And Ichigo just watched his partner ignore the woman and walk behind her to a large mahogany door, pulling it open. Behind the door was a massive office decorated with expensive portraits, a far larger desk made of a well-polished marble, and a large window that allowed the owner of the place to look down at the city. Said boss turned from a bookshelf with a large stack of folders and took a seat as the blond did the same.

The bluenette tried to reach for him, to stop him, but it was too late, "It's been a while, detective." The boss said, a brunette clad in a black business jacket, matching skirt that showed the knees, a white blouse with no tie and the top two buttons undone to show a moderate amount of cleavage, yet no signs of bra.

"Should I kick him out, boss?" Shampoo asked, and Ichigo watched her pull out a pair of heavy tonfas.

The brunette moved a strand of hair from her bob-cut behind her ear, "It seems the detective is in a hurry to tell us something, so let him speak his mind." She said with a calm smile.

Ichigo remembered Naruto's advice, to be a good smartass, "What, no cookies to offer?" Ichigo also took a seat on a very comfortable leather sofa, which paled in comparison to the leather throne on wheels the brunette had.

She smiled at him in a way that just triggered all the alarms in his head, "And you have a partner. Good, I never have enough of our precious jokes."

Naruto leaned back, "Ichigo, this is Nabiki Tendo. Back in her story she was a broker, and here she's an attorney at law… It doesn't matter what your problem is, she can get you out if you have the money."

Nabiki widened her smile, "I don't always win, detective. After all, there's only so much someone can do."

"You, or your real client?" Naruto asked.

Ichigo remembered something else, "You were in the story Ranma 1/2, at least before arriving to this place. You know him, right?"

Nabiki was good enough to not laugh on his face, she merely assaulted him with the obvious, "Isn't that like saying you know your father since you lived in the same house?"

Ichigo was caught off guard there, but quickly jumped back on his feet by using a primal fuel of determination, anger, "Don't fool me, you know what I'm talking about." Now he had a good idea of why Naruto brought him there, "Being free of his world's rules of letting everyone walk over him changed Ranma."

Nabiki closed her eyes but kept her smile, "It gave him a sense of freedom. However, I can't say I wished to see the effects it had on him… I actually am honest here saying I wish things could have been different, but alas… I'd be lying if I said I dislike how it made me grow in this city."

"Which is why you keep Shampoo here, to feel safe…" Naruto said, baiting the two.

"Ranma would never attack us, pig!" the bluenette erupted, surprising even Naruto at the term she used.

Nabiki raised a hand, "Sit down, Shampoo… I'm sure he meant those people we have to deal in this line of work…" she gave the two men a sly smile, "After all, Shampoo has had to fight those that can't accept how the law and I work as one."

"Whoa, subtle, aren't you?" Ichigo said with as much sarcasm as he could muster. "Leaving that open to interpretation isn't going to help you."

Nabiki leaned to her desk, showing some emphasis on her genes' good work on her cleavage, "I like you, detective. To be partnered with Uzumaki here at such a young age is quite admirable. You're actually better looking too."

Ichigo fought the heat on his cheeks, but knew he lost. Naruto on the other hand, "Don't try to be a smartass, Nabiki. That's why I have the kid here."

The redhead was about to make a comment about being called a kid, but decided not to. After all, he did mess up, so… "The old man's right." He sneaked a jab, "You and your secretary over there are still fond of him, regardless of his new job."

Nabiki closed her eyes and leaned back, "I'll admit, I never cared much for things when I arrived here. It was a good way to start over, to change my life for the best… In my story, my father would have tried to marry me to some rich fool to mooch off the gains. He and Ranma's father were too alike, so I decided to leave them to rot. It was either law school or being some superficial heir's living doll."

Naruto pressed further, "But Ranma had an even tighter leash and didn't hesitate to bite the hand yanking on it. After all, if his father was the one getting to live the life the son deserved, well… It was a matter of time before things changed forever. And now, Ranma is in very bad company."

That made the brunette frown, "I wouldn't know what you're talking about… for once."

Ichigo saw his chance, "That's a change… You didn't happen to know of a hit, right? Because we have reasons to believe there were many parties involved."

Nabiki chuckled, "And I can assure you I wouldn't lower myself to such things."

"But Ranma would." Naruto said, "Without the rules of his story, he could be what he wanted and make his father pay, and he did. I've seen what happened, he killed the man in cold blood before becoming a hitman."

Ichigo recalled having heard of that. Newspapers showed pictures of a fat panda with a large hole on his chest, and his heart missing. What was scary was that said large bear had been skinned soon after.

"There was a lot of anger building in him." Ichigo continued, "He actually seemed to accept that change in his life, and thus we have one of this world's most dangerous and well-paid hitmen. Key word being one."

Nabiki was confused at the statement, so Naruto elaborated, "We believe, or rather, we have proof that another hitman was at the scene. It could have been a plan on both sides, but I know Ranma in battle…" he raised his shirt to show his bruised chest, "Not once did he intend to kill me, but the other guy didn't think twice to kill every officer in the vicinity to get the target in position."

"And Ranma got ahead of him." Ichigo explained, "Two hitmen after a single target means a lot of competition… It'll be hard to tell what the other guy will do to settle the score."

Nabiki stared at them and then at Shampoo, the Chinese woman's grip on her tonfas trembled, and then the brunette spoke, "If you want information on such a thing… I am not allowed to share my sources, but I know of a place where Ranma likes to go to… It is a thrill of his I'd never agree on, but in this city things aren't what we want them to be…"

She handed them a note with an address which Naruto took before he and the redhead got up, "That was easy, too easy…"

Nabiki grinned at him, "Make no mistake, this was just a… friendly conversation. You weren't interrogating me, and I was just pondering on a friend's life choices. If anything happens to you, well, I am a lawyer…" she then frowned at them, "But if something happens to Ranma because of you two…"

Naruto held up the paper, "I'm not after him, I'm after whoever is behind this whole sick and twisted game."

The lawyer nodded to her secretary, "Shampoo, please escort these two out."

The bluenette did as told, watching them leave without letting go of her weapons.

Once they were gone, a bookshelf slid to the side, revealing a door. From it stepped out a handsome man with black hair done in a braided pigtail, a black Chinese coat with red cuffs and golden laces keeping it closed, and blood red Kung-Fu pants. He was lean, had some well-defined features, and sighed tiredly.

"Uzumaki's a good cop, Nabs…" he told the brunette as she casually turned to smirk at him, "You don't need to be such a bitch about his arrival or my business. He is one of the few men that do what the law doesn't."

"I did what you wanted, though." She said, grabbing a calculator, "I do enjoy when you ask for my services. To cancel all of our parents' contracts and debts was fun, but to play with two tough cop wannabes was quite thrilling… I could always throw in a bonus for free."

He sighed tiredly, "I'll leave the money in the usual place. At least I got what I wanted from him."

Nabiki walked up to him, smiling softly, "I thought you were killing another drug lord, not getting involved in something with another professional."

The pigtailed man ruffled his hair, "It just means I can't be careful enough now. They will look for whoever was there, and I'll look for whoever was dumb enough to not give me all the details."

"But first…" Nabiki said, shrugging off her coat and letting it fall to the floor. She sat on her desk, pressing a button that closed the doors, and watched Ranma hungrily walk to her, "Shampoo won't be back for a minute or two, make the most of it."

XXXXXX

"You do know this is a trap, right?" Ichigo asked his partner.

Naruto shrugged, "Best lead we have. Besides, we've been in worse… Our animes and their fillers, for example."

"Yeah, but we can die here." Ichigo remarked.

Naruto contemplated such words before shrugging, "Hey, I know the man. If Ranma's really involved on this, at least we'll be on after something interesting."

"You're awfully trusting of a hitman." Ichigo replied with some dread in his voice, "Even if he spared your life."

Naruto shrugged again, making the carrot top groan at the fact he knew, he just knew, that this would be a long day. "Just one thing…" Naruto started as he opened the door to their ride, "You did good, for your first time talking with a lawyer." He told the younger detective with a smile, catching him off guard.

Ichigo couldn't help but chuckle as the two got in Renji's taxi, the redhead looking up from a dirty magazine, "You two certainly took your time… I was actually reading the joke section of this thing."

"We need you to take us to the Fire Geisha." Naruto said with a straight face.

A small trail of blood leaked down Renji's nose, "T-That place…?"

Ichigo stared at the two, confused, "What am I missing?"

"You'll have to wait and see." Naruto answered.

Ichigo took in a deep breath to try to calm himself while Renji, not one to question where to go if it paid him due to his job, drove them to where the blond told him to.

As they passed through the streets, something caught Ichigo's eyes, a couple of schoolgirls in white and blue sailor uniforms. "What the… shouldn't those two be in school?"

Renji stopped at the sight of a red light, asking, "If you two want to do your job and scold them, go ahead. I get paid for how long the ride takes."

Naruto opened the door and so did Ichigo, the redhead speaking, "We'll be back."

The girls noticed the grown men walking to them. The streets were mostly empty since it was a school day, and they were in a very bad part of the city. Not to mention, mostly everyone who'd be there would wait at night for whatever entertainment could be had.

One of the girls paled, "Oh… shit…" she saw the badges, "Uh, look officers, we…" her friend quickly tried to get behind her, but in doing she pushed her forward.

The sound of two objects falling to the floor seemed to echo in the street. One of them was a bag filled to the brim with the girl's makeup and some school items like pencils and notebooks. The other was the girl trying to hide behind her friend… her skin cold and blue, and her eyes losing any light and life in them.

The two men let out a brief cry of "Shit!" before trying to solve this problem.

Little did they know, things had just gotten started.

 **XXXXXX**

 **And that's my rap!**

 **As you can see, I've watched a lot of the big name cop shows on TV. Tends to happen, I feel bored and don't want to wait for any kind of update from whatever web comic or web show I'm looking forward to, and just turn on the TV to watch the cop classics.**

 **Ichigo and Naruto will interact more as the show goes on, this is them being professional and playing with their strength, i.e. to be jackasses. And here are the new characters introduced  
**

Ranma Saotome - A professional hitman who turned to the dark side of martial arts after his father pushed him too hard. Was trained by a professional after arriving to the city.

Nabiki Tendo - Attorney at law and the closest Ranma has to a friend, she helped the hitman before for a proper price, now she dedicates herself to the thrills of trials and having Ranma between her legs.

Shampoo - Nabiki's bodyguard and secretary, an extremely skilled martial artist, and one of Ranma's few allies in this city along Nabiki. She's not fond of Nabiki having more time with him, though.

 **Swordslinger out!**


	3. Chapter 3

I OWN NOTHING

This is what happens when you get into Telltale Games and watch too many shows about crime investigation. I regret nothing.

 **XXXXXX**

A tough day

"From the top, sweetheart."

Naruto tried to keep a calm and smooth voice while he and Ichigo confronted the schoolgirl, keeping her away from her friend who was quickly pulled into an ambulance. Luckily, she was still alive and breathing, but there needed to be answers for what happened. They may have their own case, but some cops do give a damn.

The girl had short brown hair, was barely hitting puberty, and had small pigtails. Her uniform was cheap, but it was to be expected.

"I… I was told that we should skip school to find good stuff…" the girl admitted, crossing her arms, "I didn't know what my friend meant, but she said there'd be money, and my dad's struggling as it is since Mom left us… I mean, shit, we both have lost weight since our diet's based on cash."

Ichigo was sterner, "Any details on what kind of job it was? Did you see your friend acting weird?"

The girl trembled, hugging her body, "How could I know? But it all seemed good… She was getting money from her mother, and… is she really going to be ok?"

That softened Ichigo, "Hey, doctors have to be good in this city if they want to keep their job."

She looked down, "I guess so…"

Naruto sighed and pulled out a cigarette, "You don't mind if I…"

She chuckled, "I'd have asked you for one, but it'd be a crime, right?"

The blond smiled warmly, "Don't get cute, the kid here is still single, far as I know." He lit his cigarette and took a deep drag, letting out a cloud of smoke towards the sky so she wasn't bothered by it. Ichigo glared but didn't want to fight, and he could see the older cop wanted the girl to be at ease.

That's why he sneaked in a jab, "Who knows? Maybe if the old man were a few centuries younger he'd ask you out."

Naruto put a hand to his mouth to conceal his smile when the girl giggled, ' _Good one, kid._ '

"She, my friend Tomoko… was going to a lot of parties." The girl started, "Parties she never took me to, because they were really expensive. She never talked about them, but I think she started working in some when her mother's business didn't start to do so well… They paid her to work at a register and with some cameras, but that's about all she'd ever tell me."

"That's a start." Ichigo said calmly before trying to talk soothingly to her, "Anything else?"

"I… I don't know. After we arrived to this city, I just wanted to try to get a job, part-time stuff, you know? But I'm… was a magical girl." She sighed, "I was known as Sakura Card Captor, and since I use magic some people think I may try to, well, get extra money by taking it from them."

"Just like Minako and… Wait… Now I remember you." Naruto said, starting with a low mumble before staring at her calmly, "I didn't think I'd hear a magical girl swear, though."

She blushed, "Well officer, did you think a magical girl's friend would do drugs?"

"Drugs?" Ichigo asked, feeling some clear glimpses to a conversation he had before.

The brunette nodded, "What else could it be? Tomoko was always trying to be cheerful for her mother, but I could tell she was stressed… Do you think it could have been different if I had-"

"No." Naruto said sternly, pulling out his cigarette before stomping on it on the ground, "And if you dare say you're responsible for this, don't dare think it's true… No one's forced to do anything in this city, we just make choices. Whoever was around your friend when this happened must have chosen her for this sick sh-"

"Hey, cut the language!" Ichigo scolded his partner, "I know you're angry, but you're getting nowhere if you don't think this through."

Naruto sighed, "You're right… Sorry, sweetheart… I guess I just don't like to think of kids being hurt."

It made sense to the carrot-head, ' _He is a father, alright… Guess it comes natural to him to worry about children._ ' He turned to Sakura, "Anyway, some officers will take you to the station to get more details and then they will carry you home, but if anything happens we need to know."

She nodded, pulling out an old cell-phone, "I can give you my number if you want to ask me anything."

"Here's mine." Naruto said, handing her a card with his number on it, "Just do yourself a favor and take it easy, sweetheart."

She nodded slowly before they went their separate ways.

XXXXXX

After that happened and the investigation over those drugs took place, the two cops made their way to the Fire Geisha… a brothel. Not only that, but Naruto had some words Ichigo didn't like, "So tell me again, why the hell do you get to sip tea with Madame Yumi and I have to talk to one of her girls?" he really wanted to punch the blond right in the douche-nozzle.

Sometimes Ichigo lamented his life which apparently consisted of being his universe's chew toy. If it wasn't being an utter sap who failed to maintain a functioning relationship or getting screwed over for the sake of drama, it was being a butt monkey for douche-wagons like his partner.

"Because I outrank you, and she and I have a thing." Naruto's answer made the carrot top look outraged until the blond explained further with a glare to shut him up. "It's nothing my wife disapproves of, I helped Yumi-chan get rid of a particularly loathsome fucker, and she's let me hang around her place as a reward. She likes talking with me and I like getting her input on how to make my wife happier."

"Even when you say it like that…" Ichigo started.

He gave the younger cop a stern look, "You really thought I'd cheat on the one person who ever gave a shit about me in my story? The one woman who always looked at me with love and kindness with no strings attached? The one girl who truly mattered and was there when I needed her the most? Kid, don't even get angry on her behalf, my wife can settle her issues with her own two fists."

Ichigo raised his hands in self-defense, "You're still involved in this… I'm surprised she's not worried to death about you."

Naruto had a proud look, smiling in a soft manner at the thought of his wife, "Two kids, years of marriage to me, and being a housewife has made her stronger than anyone else dares to touch. You think that the big scary guys in the city could touch her? Shit, she fucking tears apart those goons with a stern look, let alone what she can do when she gets mad. Trust me, I don't need to worry about her, she can take care of herself."

Ichigo groaned, ruffling his hair, "But you know of this place and didn't think of going here instead of Nabiki's first… Should I take it that's a good or a bad thing?" his partner's face said it was a bit of both.

"We're here already so keep quiet, keep your prudishness to yourself, and let the girls take care of you. I'll be up with Yumi-chan, see what she has to tell me about our case. You'll meet with one of her best acquisitions who is better now that Yumi-chan's taught her some proper manners. She's gotten decent with people, can take perversion and control herself, and is able to be concerned about people other than herself."

Pushing the orange haired man forward, Naruto went inside a huge house with him. The house had a simple wooden sign above it, fashioned into a gorgeous woman made out of stylish red flames, with a loose cut kimono on. The wood had words carved into it in a manner that pleasantly spelled out: The Fire Geisha.

"What am I exactly looking for?" Ichigo asked, feeling his guts turn into lead.

"The girl I told you about has connections to Ranma. I am trusting you to play the part of a costumer and get her to talk." Naruto answered before motioning to him, "Give me your gun, it'll be safer with me."

"Won't she know I'm a cop either way?" the carrot head retorted.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "What's the point? She has to do her job whether you're the president or a married businessman."

"Well, if Madame Yumi trusts you, I guess they would let you talk to her." He really didn't want to humiliate himself like that. He felt used.

Naruto groaned, "Listen, this girl of Yumi's doesn't like me enough to give me answers. She has some history with Ranma, and she can be protective of him… Just take that in mind when you talk to her."

The younger detective let out a defeated sigh. It seemed he'd have to do this if he really wanted some answers, but, "Why don't we just show our badges?"

"And ruin the element of surprise?" Naruto asked casually, "Nah, I'm kidding with that, but you have to go in. If Ranma has left a clue here, she's a good start to finding some answers. If she sees you with me, call a psychic because we won't be getting any answers from her otherwise."

"How pissed can one woman be at you?" Ichigo asked tiredly.

Naruto groaned at the memory, "She was in a trial for being abusive in her only relationship… I presented the evidence, the prosecution did their job, but she tried to slap the prosecutor… I actually punched her."

"I… Tell me the details later." The younger cop groaned in resignation. He handed the blond his gun, with Naruto pocketing it in his jacket.

They entered a large lobby with two sets of stairs on both sides which lead to the upper floors and a balcony. On the balcony they could see a large portrait of a woman with a loosened kimono before a bonfire, letting the flames show her curves. The balcony also lead to a hall with beautiful girls in low-cut kimonos that exposed their legs and cleavage arranged in lines, and doors behind them.

On the first floor there was a counter with some of the girls attending it, smiling for whoever could come in while several services were displayed in boards behind them. The girls could massage their customer, serve them drinks, play music for them, and even play ping-pong. But those services were extras to the main event, which weirded Ichigo out while his partner went to the second floor without a second thought.

Inside, Ichigo was quickly grabbed by several beautiful girls and yanked around, dressed into a masculine kimono and frisked to make sure he didn't bring any weapons with him.

A particularly attractive girl with dark skin and a fashionable pair of pigtails with multiple braids smiled at him, then gave him a saucy wink, "Don't worry about being accosted or groped here beyond mild teasing. Miss Tia doesn't permit anyone to touch what she considers hers, even people who owe her. Why, her girls got jobs simply because of her connections and her power. Trust me, she cares more about you than you realize."

Ichigo tried to form words, "I- but…"

The girl gave him another wink, then groped his butt and made him nearly yell out in shock until he forced his lips shut, "Miyuki Ayukawa's the name hot stuff. Now, get inside… mn! Such a shame I had to waste my time with that idiot in our own story… a real man like you, would really get my motor going… Oh well, Miss Tia's a good woman and she deserves the hero anyway."

With that he was ushered into a room and had a pair of sliding doors shut behind him.

"Oh man… if I didn't have Harribel yanking my chain enough times… Christ on a fucking bike, I… dammit, I'll talk to her about where we stand after this mess is sorted out… Maybe she'll be willing to try to give me a break and we can see where things go… shit, I hope we can… ugh." He talked to himself, then remembered he had company. "I only hope that jackoff Naruto is doing worse than I am…"

As for the blond, he had reached a fine pair of double doors leading to who he wanted to see.

"Ah Yumi-chan!"

"Naru-kun!"

Embracing the gorgeous madame of the Fire Geisha, Naruto allowed himself to be sat down next to her on a pair of soft pillows. Stunning in her beauty, she wore a simple kimono that was cut low enough he could her more than ample bosom. She had a head of soft brown hair worn in a bun with ornate golden pins, beautiful features, and a pleasing scent that made him relax his guard if briefly.

Her office was spacious, had a large wooden desk, and many kimonos displayed on mannequins inside crystal cases. To say her business was good was an understatement. The interior screamed Japanese traditions, and the expensive kind. Women would bring bottles of warm sake, mats would be ready for the costumers, and several girls played some nice tunes with old fashioned instruments.

She poured him a cup of tea, then begin gently talking, her warm expression showing her honest pleasure at seeing him again, "Be honest, detective, you didn't come here for a cup of tea, did you?"

"I have a kid to look for." Naruto said calmly, leaning back before taking a sip, "I had him meet your current best girl…"

Yumi stared curiously at him, "Is this a prank or-"

"There's trouble in this city." He said, dropping any act, "There's a possible super drug running around the streets… I think we just saw a victim of that stuff, a girl still in high school."

Yumi reached for a drawer in her desk, pulling out a pack of fine cigarettes, rather expensive too. She offered one to Naruto, but the blond already had his own brand on his lips. They took a moment to light their cancer sticks, with Yumi using matches, even offering one to Naruto which he took. Supposedly, matches helped keep the flavor.

They filled the air with smoke before she spoke, "Word on the street is that there exists such a thing. We had to kick one of our costumers out when they tried to sell some here after giving one of my girls a free sample."

Naruto leaned forward, "Can I see them?"

Yumi sighed, "This is a brothel, detective. When our customers want privacy and pay good enough for it, we only make sure they're not armed or carrying anything suspicious. We clean the rooms diligently after their stay. However, and this is the part that makes me sick to my stomach, we never saw any drugs on him."

"Please tell me you're pulling my leg." He actually sounded hopeful that was the case.

She shook her head, "If it weren't true, I wouldn't have let him poison one of my girls. She seemed fine, though, until a day after taking… whatever she was given, she had to stop working because of some strong migraines. After that we tried taking her to a sauna, it seemed to help her sweat whatever toxins were inside her."

"At least you care enough to give them a good time." He quipped.

She smiled briefly, "Partly thanks to you looking out for us…" she said before looking in another drawer, pulling out a roll of bills held together with a rubber band. Yumi handed the cash to the whiskered detective, "That piece of scum paid with this. I double-checked them and they are legit, but there's something strange… It's like the ink's still fresh, even though every bill has some years of use."

Naruto took the roll of bills with a pen, staring at it briefly before taking a sniff, "There is something in them, all right. I'll need to talk to this girl of yours to know the details." He put it in a plastic bag which he pocketed.

Yumi looked down, "I said we tried taking her to the sauna and that it seemed to help her, not that it did. She's still at home, feeling sick. But one of her friends is covering for her. Maybe she can help you."

"Wait, she's still sick?" the blond asked, actually worried. He bit on his lower lip, "Shit… Yumi-chan, do me a solid and have whoever you can watch over her. If something happens, I want to know first."

The woman's eyes widened in worry, but she nodded regardless, "I'll see what I can do. Would you like to talk to her friend or do you have something else in mind?"

"She didn't mention how she was drugged, did she?" he asked, wishing for a clear answer.

Yumi clasped her hands in worry, "She was too out of it after taking the drugs. We did plan on calling the police, but a brothel with drugs in it? You know that these girls depend a lot on this job, otherwise they wouldn't even be here."

"I know, I know, but keeping information like that to yourself won't look good on you if I need to speak of this…" he sighed, "You're lucky I just… tend to forget details on my reports…"

She giggled, "Thank you, Naru-kun."

"You do look after your girls, I've made sure of that." He said a tad sternly, but softened his features, "Wish I could do more, though. This isn't a way to live."

"It's our choice." Yumi said to soothe the cop, "Besides, I think some of them enjoy it."

"Kid better not be enjoying himself." He mumbled to himself.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, sorry. Say… Have you seen any other unusual costumers lately?"

The madame put her cigarette down on an ash tray, blankly staring at him, "You're joking, right? This establishment has some of the most questionable people barging in, dashing out, and all of them trying to put the extra coin for discretion. Having you, a cop, around is bad for business but I let that happen because of what you did for me. But this…" she smiled, handing him a key, "…could be arranged."

He took the key, reading the number for the room on it.

She grinned at him, "I have a missing key, detective. If you wouldn't mind, I have to look for it."

He nodded and bowed politely, "I'll see you later then, Yumi-chan." He mouthed a "Thank you" before he left and moved forward, a single question in his mind, "I hope the kid's handling himself well."

He was about to go through the door, but the knob start to turn around.

XXXXXX

Ichigo stepped into a dimly lit room, looking at a girl who was sitting in a kneeling position with her head of blue hair bowed, and an elegant if very low cut kimono on, showing a nice hint of attractive breasts. It had the bottom cut away, revealing her creamy legs. Ichigo merely looked her in the face despite his blush, Miyuki's words made him resolute in focusing on his task.

"Greetings my humble sir…" she said with her head near the ground before revealing her face, hands and knees on the floor with a smile on her round face, "I am Akane… And I will be your partner for this meeting."

"Get up, I'm not here to bang someone… least of all when I'm doing my job, I prefer my women older…" Ichigo said, not wanting to be too blunt.

Upon seeing him the girl gasped and looked up at him, actually stammering a little in fear, "You're with Miss Tia…?! I… I'm sorry, this one asks for your forgiveness… I didn't know you were one of her…" Akane said with a gulp.

Tia Harribel could own a small business to some, but she was one of the more powerful people in the city. She started from a simple bar owner to one of the most genuinely powerful people in the city, the shark woman had two and only two rules:

Number one. If you owe her anything, you pay, no matter what, she'd collect one way or another.

Number two. If you touch anyone or anything she considers hers, even clients, then all bets were off and you could kiss your ass goodbye.

The orange haired cop merely grunted out to her, rubbing the back of his neck with a sigh, "Don't worry about it… Harribel and I have an odd understanding, and it's not something to care much about… I came here because I needed information, information I'm told you can give me." He said to her seriously. "I'm going to sound like an idiot, but you know Ranma Saotome, right?"

The girl's eyes narrowed, but she kept a collected look, "I see… What did he get himself into this time?"

"I was hoping you'd tell me." Ichigo replied, "Far as I know, you could be leading me to a trap regardless of what you may know. That is why I'll change my question… what do you know of Ranma now?"

She sighed, "You wouldn't happen to have a cigarette, would you?"

Ichigo sighed, "I'm not going to get into the habit anytime soon. I tend to say it's for old farts who think they're living extra hours."

The Fire Geisha girl furrowed her brows, "Don't try to be so casual… Besides, in this world everyone's living extra hours…" she sat on a heart-shaped bed, legs crossed, "Don't try to pull games on me… I've heard everything from everyone, and saw everything from everyone. Men and women alike. Sizes, shapes, fetishes… They all just want to feel like things were better."

Ichigo remembered Naruto's only lesson and fought back a blush as he did what he was told, he acted like a smartass, "I can ask for the details later, can't I?"

She glared at his words but let it slide, "You wouldn't happen to be a hitman, right? You're too… clean for that." She reached into the bed and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, putting one in her mouth, "If you were a private detective, you must be really well paid to waste money like this without getting to it."

"And you already dropped the servant crap." Ichigo was really getting impatient, "You must know I'm not here to play games."

"Will you humor me, then?" she asked, reaching for a lighter, "When I arrived here, I actually expected Ranma to take care of things, as did everyone else… What do you think happened later? He had turned his father into a panda and ripped his heart out to show it to him, telling him he never deserved to have one."

"I heard the story…" Ichigo said, "Which doesn't explain why you're not giving me a straight answer. It just makes it confusing."

She tried to light her cancer stick, but the lighter was out of gas, "Before he killed his father he sued me and my father for all we had. We did owe him…" she looked down, darkly laughing to herself there, "I abused him and yet I dared to tell him to be a man and take care of my needs… I believed to be strong, but I was so, so wrong. My sister helped him to get into law school, and when he was free of our marriage contract…"

Seeing she had something to get out before he could get an answer, he decided to do one thing, "Here." Ichigo said, grabbing some matches from the nightstand before lighting her cigarette.

Akane took a drag of smoke to fill her lungs, relaxing herself, "Thank you…" she let out a cloud of smoke before speaking again, "I tried to confront him about what he'd do with his life, telling him how worthless he was for leaving me behind, defenseless and alone with a father to look after, so I tried to attack him. Tried because there was this… annoying cop nearby at the trial. He broke my nose."

"Let me guess, he had blond hair, whiskers, and dresses like he's out of a 80s comic book?" he asked casually.

She nodded, eyes wide, "How did you-"

"Guy has a habit to piss people off, so call it a lucky guess." He lied, "Now, how does the story continue?"

She smiled, "I had no money, nowhere to go, and my sisters tried to live a peaceful life away from our father's debts, Genma's debts." Her smile fell, "My father then contacted the wrong kind of people, and they took his head when he couldn't work for them. All debts and their interests fell on me seeing as no one else wanted anything to do with them, and then… Ranma found me."

"What?!" Ichigo was honestly shocked, "But…"

Akane giggled, "Funny, is it not? I always forced him to work for me, and it is the one time that I don't call for him and he helps me that I feel grateful towards him." she shook her head, "He actually felt some pity for me, not mercy but just… pity. I was glad either way. He contacted Madame Yumi, who helped me clear my debts, but now I work for her."

"Life doesn't come cheap." Ichigo remarked stoically.

She nodded in agreement, her smile returning if only for a brief cynical moment of amusement, "It really is funny. At times, even when I tell myself this is the worst, there's still people willing to help. That cop that broke my nose came here once, just doing his job, the same time one of the men my father contacted for money came to collect me as liability. That guy broke his arm in three places before saying he'd keep us safe."

"Us?" Ichigo asked curiously.

"Every girl in here, including Madame Yumi…" she answered softly, "Though I still just hate that guy… He didn't hesitate to just punch me when I fought Ranma at the trial, and he thinks he's smarter than he is."

"…agreed on that…" he mumbled to himself before remembering why he was there, "What do you know of Ranma, then?"

"He didn't become the man he is now easily." She answered calmly, "To become a true hitman, he actually trained with one of, if not the best."

"The best…?" he echoed, "As in, G-"

"But…" she drawled with a smile while standing up before leaning against a wall, "You must be a rookie if you just gave away that you knew detective Uzumaki."

Ichigo ground his teeth, "So you told me that just to waste my time?"

Akane knitted her eyebrows in an intense stare, pulling her cigarette from her lips to let out a cloud of smoke, "As horrible as my life may have turned to be, I owe Ranma something…"

Ichigo snapped, punching the wall behind her head, purposely missing her skull, "We went through your little game, so just answer me, dammit!"

She took a deep breath, "You've only wasted your time. Whatever you may think you're looking for mustn't be here. If I ever see Ranma, it's just for him to be the one to make me scream without having to fake it."

Ichigo turned red but managed to kick out the mental image, but something she said before clicked with him. If she owed Ranma… "He may be in danger." He stated truthfully.

That got her to lower her guard, her cigarette nearly falling from her fingers, "You better not be making that up to try to get me to talk." She threatened with a glare.

He made her body tense when he glared back, "I'm done joking. There's been a hit and there's more than one party involved. Seeing as he took out the target, whoever failed their mission may be after him. And I guess that is why I am here." He growled, ' _That cunning sick and twisted… Ugh, did Nabiki want us to check on her sister, or is there something here that-_ '

"I…" Akane started, "…talked with Ranma when he came to visit." Her cheeks flushed at the memory, "I noticed he needed the attention more than before, and he spoke of someone else, like he was being watched."

"So there was another hitman." Ichigo noted.

Akane nodded before walking to the nightstand, reaching into it. Ichigo saw her something placed on the top, hidden from view with duct tape keeping it from being easily found. She pulled out a picture, but kept it close to her chest, making sure Ichigo didn't see its contents. The carrot top refrained from groaning, he was already in a male kimono in a brothel, he needn't this drama.

"Ranma gave me something in case, and I quote him, a cop with an actual heart came here." She sighed, "If I hand this to you… promise me you won't hurt him."

"I make no promises I can't keep." Ichigo said firmly, "If he's involved in worse than this, I will arrest him, and if worst comes to it after everything that's happened I may have to take him down."

Akane looked down, and reluctantly but surely extended the picture for him to take.

It was a bad thing that the door had been busted open.

XXXXXX

"GET DOWN!"

Naruto's senses tingled at just the right time, and he yelled that as he leapt onto Yumi's body and pushed them to the ground, just as a sniper shot was heard and a bullet pierced through the door, right at the spot where a head was. The door slowly creaked open, showing a hired goon in stereotypical yakuza outfit and sunglasses falling onto the ground with a bleeding hole through his head.

Naruto looked up to see a lens's glimmer, then he rolled away, another bullet piercing where his head just was. Kicking down a heavy bookcase for cover, he pulled out Ichigo's gun while Yumi merely drew out a much larger and more powerful looking Desert Eagle from her cleavage. She just gave a look when he gave her a quizzical glance, their years of closeness allowing them to seamlessly load their respective weapons.

Several tense seconds passed, before the window opposite to them was shattered, a man rolling inside and smoothly drawing out a blade which he used to stab at Naruto.

The blond cop leaped back, catching the classic sideburns and utmost serious face of his assailant, "Golgo 13… The man they call Duke Tolgo!" he growled out as he side-stepped a slash from the man.

The man, built like a bodybuilder and dressed in a fine business suit, gave him a cold look before trying to stab him. The detective replied quickly by leaping in the air, spinning his body around to kick the combat knife off the man's hand. He still had to face a man roughly half a head taller than him trained in CQC and with his life basically being quite a large encyclopedia in how to kill people.

Yumi didn't hesitate to fire upon the man who dodged the shots with an inhuman reaction time, but the hitman dodged the shots. Naruto on the other hand kicked an ash tray into him. The cloud of smoke obscured the blond before he stomp kicked the man into the wall. The professional didn't even utter a sound, he just pulled out a silenced Magnum and begun firing at the cop, barely dodging each shot at point blank range.

It wasn't for the first time that Naruto thanked how well known his series was as he closed the distance with inhuman speed. Yumi fired again, but barely tickled the large man's sideburns. The hitman turned around and fired again, this time shooting her gun out of her hands and readying another bullet. It was then that Naruto stepped in and knew his day would be bad.

In a split second, the detective had a revolver aimed to his face while he pressed the barrel of Ichigo's Beretta to a hitman's throat.

He really wished Ichigo was doing better.

 **XXXXXX**

 **And that's my rap!**

 **Like in any game by Telltale Games, there's a calm section in which you snoop around before the shit hits the proverbial fan. So, what better way to cover the walls with brown than one of the best hitmen in manga business?**

Sakura Kinomoto (From Sakura Card Captor) – A high school student whose friend has been looking for proper jobs for them, though she fears for said friend's safety.

Yumi Komagata (From Samurai X) – Madame of the Fire Geisha, a brothel that treats the girls with actual respect, and along Harribel she's one of the few money lenders with heart.

Akane Tendo (From Ranma) – Ranma's ex-fiancée, currently working at the Fire Geisha, she remains loyal to Ranma despite how her life has turned around.

Duke Tolgo (Golgo 13) – One of the world's most dangerous hitmen in the business who stops at nothing to get the job done. He is also Ranma's mentor in the ways of the assassin.

 **I know you'd like to know more of the others, but right now these are the major additions to this story.**

 **Swordslinger out!**


End file.
